Some of those new House Republicans are finding out for themselves just how expensive healthcare can cost when you have pre-existing conditions, and the government isn’t paying for your coverage.
Original Article
Hey Remember those 16 GOP that declined their healthcare?
by lanae Wed Feb 09, 2011
Remember the 16 GOP members who declined their healthcare because the dems called them out of being HYPOCRITES of taking a government run plan but then denying others of the same plan? Remember they said they will repeal it because of their "PRINCIPLE" and wanting to defund that "MONSTROCITY" of a healthcare law. Well some are finally getting a taste of buying their own family's healthcare on the market out of their own pockets and they are going broke paying for it....hahahaha
http://dyn.politico.com/...
Ask any House Republican about repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law, and you’ll get the same fiery, self-assured talking points about tearing down what Speaker John Boehner has called a "monstrosity."
But talk to some of the 16 freshman lawmakers who have declined their government health benefits, and you’ll hear a different side of the story — about tough out-of-pocket expenses, pre-existing conditions and support for health reforms that would help those who struggle with their coverage. As they venture into the free market for health insurance, these lawmakers — many of whom swept into office fueled by tea party anger over the health care law — are facing monthly premiums of $1,200 and fears of double-digit rate hikes.
The experience has caused some of them to think harder about the "replace" part of the "repeal and replace" mantra the GOP has adopted regarding the health care law.
"I have a niece who has pre-existing conditions, and I worry about her if she was ever to lose her job," said Florida Rep. Richard Nugent, one of the freshman lawmakers who declined federal health insurance benefits.
Maryland Rep. Andy Harris caused an uproar during freshman orientation when he demanded to know how long it would take for his federal health insurance policy to kick in. Since then, the question of whether lawmakers who ran against the health law should accept their own government benefits has become a favorite game of partisan ping-pong in Washington. Democrats are demanding that the lawmakers who voted to deny reform benefits to the American public turn down their own federal employee health insurance, and Republicans have argued that accepting benefits from the government is not inconsistent with GOP support for employer-based coverage.
The freshman members who declined insurance have had to find other ways to cover their health needs.
Louisiana Rep. Jeff Landry is enrolled in an individual health savings account. New York Rep. Nan Hayworth, an ophthalmologist, gets employer-based coverage through her husband, who is a doctor. Rep. Cory Gardner of Colorado purchases his plan through an insurer in his home state.
Now that Republicans have made good on their pledge to repeal the health care law, some of them are already feeling pressure to offer policy solutions that would address the problems in the insurance market — ones that the new members, having declined benefits, should have some experience with.
One new Republican House member, Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, recently told a local TV program that he needed a commitment from GOP leaders that they’d offer their own health care proposals before he voted to repeal the Democrats’ bill.
"My position during the campaign and today is, let’s reform the reform or repeal and replace. And so, I wasn’t going vote for it," Duffy said. "But I went and spoke to the leadership, and I got a commitment that we were going to bring forward our ideas on this replacement bill."
Looks like the new members of congress are feeling the heat of paying for their monstrosity of a healthcare cost. Serves them right. Now they get a taste of what 'REGULAR" folks out here are going through with regards to their heatlhcare.. I hope they go bankrupt.